PREVIEW | Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 14 - Groves, Kooij and Pedersen face off in another bunch sprint

The Corsa Rosa is the first Grand Tour of the season and this year it will include a start in a nation that will for the first time in it's history host a Grand Tour, Albania; and also several mountain stages in it's second half whilst the first half will feature some tricky stages including one that goes through a lot of the Strade Bianche course. We preview stage 14.

The race heads abroad once again, but curiously with a day that should suit the sprinters. There is no meaningful climbing with the start in Treviso, whilst the riders climb slightly into the border with Slovenia. There should be a bunch sprint taking place in Nova Gorica later on.

The peloton heads east, mostly pan-flat, but there are a couple of kickers in the final kilometers that will make it a bit more interesting. There will be a 700-meter long climb at 7% that will be ridden on both the laps in the final circuit on the border city, and this will end with 8 kilometers on both occasions. Positioning will be key, tension will be high, and we may see attacks to try and disrupt the natural order of the stage.

Even if we see a bunch sprint, it can be quite a chaotic one due to the circuit's route. The final kilometers are quite technical and it will not be easy to organize a chase, and so next to the rain station in Nova Gorica we may see several scenarios play out.

A slight northern breeze, but one that shouldn't affect the outcome of the stage.

It's going to be a stage for a sprint. No matter how much Mads Pedersen works during this race, fatigue doesn't get to him, and Lidl-Trek can easily control this finale with Mathias Vacek if they so want and carry things to yet another sprint that could suit the Dane.

But the reality is that several others will certainly survive, with no doubt. Kaden Groves climbed quite well today, and will be ready for any bunch sprint that comes to be. Olav Kooij can definitely survive the climbs, likely Visma will work for the bunch sprint but since Kooij has won, perhaps Wout van Aert will try to attack the final climb - someone like Tom Pidcock or Mathias Vacek could match him and go on to fight for the win there.

Casper van Uden, Paul Magnier, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, Sam Bennett, Max Kanter, Maikel Zijlaard, Orluis Aular, Filippo Fiorelli, Luca Mozzato, Giovanni Lonardi, Corbin Strong and Matevz Govekar are the other

*** Kaden Groves, Olav Kooij, Mads Pedersen
** Casper van Uden
* Mathias Vacek, Wout van Aert, Paul Magnier, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, Max Kanter, Maikel Zijlaard, Sam Bennett

Pick: Kaden Groves

How: Regular bunch sprint